Program Overview

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program is a comprehensive system
of principles, objectives and performance measures developed by professional
foresters, conservationists and scientists, among others that combines the
perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of
wildlife, plants, soil and water quality. The SFI program was developed in 1994
to ensure North America's valuable forests were protected and to document the
commitment of forest products industry members to keep our forests healthy and
to practice the highest level of sustainable forestry. Currently, over 250 million acres of forestland in North America have been third-party audited to
the SFI standard, making the SFI program among the world's largest sustainable
forestry programs.

What is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative?

SFI Standard

The SFI Standard newsletter (click here to view) spells out the requirements of
compliance with the program. The SFI Standard is based on 13 Principles, 15 Objectives, 37 Performance Measures, and 101 Indicators that
address economic, environmental, cultural and legal issues, in addition to a
commitment to continuously improve sustainable forest management. The board of directors of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. solely governs the content
of the SFI Standard and all aspects of the program. The diversity of the board
members reflects the variety of interests in the forestry community. Of the 15
board members, five are the CEOs of nonprofit environmental groups; five board
members are the CEOs of forest products companies; and the remaining board
members represent stakeholders from the broader forest community.

Keeping our forests healthy is important. Healthy forests will continue to
provide the wood and paper products that are vital to all of us while also
ensuring that we have forests and wildlife for future generations of Americans.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative program is based on the premise that
responsible environmental practices and sound business practices can be
integrated to the benefit of landowners, shareholders, customers and the people
they serve.

The SFI program provides a means for foresters, landowners, loggers and wood
and paper producers to satisfy the growing demand of the American people for
environmental responsibility while still being able to produce -- at an
affordable price -- the forest products upon which people have come to
rely.

"The Sustainable Forestry Initiative will have terrific long-term
payoffs for improved forest conservation in the United States"

Logger + Trainee Database

The SFE training program was developed to satisfy the
wood-procurement and harvesting requirements of the many
SFI-certified wood purchasing companies in Michigan. SFE
training consists of core and continuing education (CE)
training. This database can be checked by foresters who
work for SFI-certified companies.

Facts About Forestry

Do we need trees for oxygen?

No. Compared to the oxygen reserves in the atmosphere, trees produce a
very tiny amount. Considering all the vegetation on the Earth, trees
also don't contribute much. The oceans produce far more oxygen than
trees. Remember that the purpose of photosynthesis is not to produce
oxygen, but to produce sugars.